How to pinch tomatoes to increase yield

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a rather capricious crop. To reap a good harvest, you need to strictly adhere to proper gardening practices and utilize a few tricks from experienced gardeners. Proper pruning and shaping of the bushes also have a positive impact on increasing the yield. Pruning tomatoes according to specific patterns will significantly increase the yield.

How to get a good tomato harvest in open ground

There are many ways to increase tomato yields in open ground and greenhouses. The most effective method is pinching out side shoots—removing side shoots. Additional shoots that appear between the stem and the leaf should be promptly removed. Side shoots grow quickly and can form clusters, flowers, and eventually tomatoes themselves. They will drain the plant of energy and nutrients, but you won't be able to harvest a decent crop from them.

Attention!

Remove additional shoots before they become too thin, leaving a small stump for a new stepson to begin growing.

The first time, side shoots are removed, approximately when the single flower cluster begins to bloom. Then, at two-week intervals, the bushes are inspected and any unwanted side shoots are pruned. Side shoot removal is especially important for indeterminate varieties, as they can grow indefinitely, taking up a large space in the garden bed and devoting energy solely to growing foliage. The plants will simply not have the time or nutrients to produce a decent harvest.

If you don't want to bother with removing side shoots, there are many determinate varieties available that don't require this procedure. However, these varieties tend to have average productivity.

How to properly pinch tomatoes to increase the yield in the ground: diagram

To maximize the tomato harvest, pruning is done in midsummer (July-August). By this time, the plants are already beginning to produce their first crop. Pruning consists of several stages.

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Removing stepsons

Removing side shoots should be a regular practice when growing tomatoes outdoors. Green shoots require nutrients and energy from the plant, which negatively impacts the plant's productivity.

Note!

Theoretically, side shoots also produce clusters and set fruit. However, the growing season for tomatoes in open ground is much shorter than in a greenhouse, so the tomatoes on the side shoots simply won't have time to form and ripen.

To ensure that the plant's energy and strength are focused strictly on producing a harvest, rather than on growing green mass, no more than 3-4 clusters should be left on the bush from which the fruit will be harvested.

Tomato trunk formation is carried out during the first removal of side shoots. If you plan to leave one stem, remove all side shoots. If you plan to leave two, leave the shoot closest to the first cluster. All other side shoots are regularly broken off at a height of 2 cm from the base.

Leaf removal

Leaf removal is an important step in tomato care. Timely and proper leaf removal will help increase the yield of tomatoes and speed up their ripening process.

First, remove all foliage touching the ground, as it begins to rot and is susceptible to pathogens. Next, remove all yellow leaves and any that show signs of mechanical or other damage. Gradually, remove all foliage from the bush. This will allow more light and warmth to reach the fruit, accelerating their ripening process.

Note!

Leaf removal can be done by hand or with sharp tools (scissors, knives). The latter should be disinfected before use (at a minimum, with a weak solution of potassium permanganate).

Pinching the top

Topping tomatoes is necessary to limit upward growth and stimulate tillering. This is especially true for tall indeterminate varieties. They can reach up to 3 m in height, producing numerous side shoots and flower clusters. Pinch each shoot. Leave about 2 cm of flower cluster above the top pair of leaves.

How to pinch tomatoes to increase yield in a polycarbonate greenhouse: diagram, photo

Although tomatoes have a longer fruiting period in a polycarbonate greenhouse, pruning and shaping the bushes is still essential. The principles of these procedures are slightly different than in open ground. There are several methods for pruning tomatoes in a greenhouse to increase yield, each with its own subtle nuances for different varieties.

Note!

Not all tomato varieties require pruning and side shoot removal. Standard and low-growing varieties do not require this procedure. However, these plants are typically grown outdoors, while tall, indeterminate varieties with an unlimited fruiting period are chosen for greenhouses.

Formation of super-early varieties

To prune tall and medium-sized tomatoes in a greenhouse, use the standard two-stem growing technique. During the first side shoot pruning, remove all side shoots except one, which will form the second stem. After some time, when the bush reaches the desired height, pinch off the top.

Among medium-sized tomato varieties, there are some that don't require side shoots or bush shaping. Therefore, before planting, carefully read the growing instructions for that particular variety.

Pruning indeterminate species

To harvest a good crop from this type of plant, pruning and shaping are essential. If the plant's growth is not curbed, it will continually grow foliage, devoting all its energy and nutrients to side shoots and clusters that will never produce fruit.

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The pruning scheme for tall indeterminate tomatoes looks like this:

Gradually remove all the leaves located below the first fruiting cluster. The stem should be completely bare to a height of at least 30 cm.
As flowers appear on other brushes, remove the leaves underneath them.
When stepsons appear, the strongest shoot is left, and the others are carefully broken off.
To stop the growth of the bushes, all the tops are removed in August.

Note!

If you don't break off the tomatoes (stepchildren and leaves) of indeterminate plants, the bush may not bloom at all and not form vegetables.

Formation of bushes for hybrids and semi-determinate varieties

Pruning these varieties is not much different from shaping tall tomatoes. The bushes are formed into two stems:

For the second shoot, leave one stepson, which appears at the bottom of the first flower brush.
The remaining stems that will appear as they grow are carefully cut off.

If the main shoot does not stop growing and constantly adds fruiting clusters, then the second stem can simply be removed.

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Helpful tips

To get a good tomato harvest, it's important not only to prune and shape the tomato crowns in a timely manner, but also to use a few small growing tips:

Tomato plants should be pruned and side-sonned in the morning. This will give the plants time to dry during the day. Exposed areas are most vulnerable to pathogenic bacteria.
To remove stepsons, use only clean, disinfected instruments.
If you break off the brushes with your hands, it is essential to use clean gloves.
You should inspect the bushes for side shoots every week, as side shoots grow very quickly. Removing a large, thick shoot will seriously stress the plant.

By following all the rules for shaping tomato bushes, you can not only increase the plant's yield but also protect it from many diseases. Ideally, tomatoes should resemble a palm tree (with the greenery concentrated at the top), and the lower part of the stem remaining virtually bare. The video clearly shows what a tomato bush should look like after shaping and pruning.